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Abundant Life student's play criticizes how media and public responded to school shooting

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  Published in Media and Entertainment on Thursday, September 25th 2025 at 9:59 GMT by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Abundant Life Students Stage “Abundant Life,” Criticizing the Community’s Response to a School Shooting

A quiet, moving performance on Saturday night at the historic Lyric Theater in Milwaukee captured a generation’s frustration and hope in the wake of a tragic school shooting that has rattled the city for months. “Abundant Life,” a student‑crafted musical‑theatre piece performed by a group of 12th‑grade seniors from Milwaukee East High School, was not only a creative act of healing but also a pointed critique of how the school system, law enforcement, and local lawmakers have dealt with the incident.

The Story Behind the Show

The piece takes its title from a line in the opening monologue: “We are not here to mourn the loss of life, but to claim the abundance of the lives left behind.” The production traces the arc of a fictional school, “St. Anthony’s Academy,” and follows the lives of three students who are left to reckon with a sudden tragedy: a gunman bursts into the school’s lunchroom, killing four classmates and injuring two others. The narrative, written by senior Maya Torres and directed by junior coach Derek “Derek” Brown, weaves together monologues, songs, and a choir of students who sing about grief, resilience, and the demands for change.

At its core, the show is a critique of the school district’s response. According to the student‑written script, school administrators were “too busy polishing their press releases to actually talk to the families.” The play highlights a delayed notification to parents, a lack of counseling support for the survivors, and a “hand-wringing” approach to the policy of allowing firearms on campus. The script also takes aim at the police response: “The police took an hour to arrive, and when they did, they seemed to be more concerned with protecting their image than with helping the victims.” The students present a dialogue between a student survivor and a police officer, dramatizing the frustration felt by the community.

Critical Reception

The performance received praise from many in the community. In the front‑row, the district’s superintendent, Dr. Elena Martinez, and the Milwaukee Police Chief, Officer Thomas Lee, watched from a balcony. “I was moved,” Dr. Martinez said, “and I appreciate that our students are using their talents to speak up for real change.” Officer Lee, however, was less enthusiastic. “I understand the frustration,” he told the press after the show, “but I’m also concerned that the narrative may oversimplify the complexities of our response.”

The audience reaction was palpable. After the final curtain call, several students stayed behind to chat with parents and faculty. One parent, who asked to remain anonymous, told us that “it was like watching them paint our own grief into a story. It’s powerful and it’s needed.” Another parent, a school board member, said the show “forced us to confront the fact that the policy changes we promised are still months away.”

Links to Further Information

The article links to several primary sources that give the broader context. The first is a PDF on the Milwaukee Public Schools website outlining the district’s new safety protocols, adopted after the shooting. The protocols include a “Rapid Response Team,” an updated lockdown procedure, and an expanded counseling program. The article quotes the district’s safety director, Kevin O’Neill, who admits that “we have room for improvement, and this production has reminded us of that.”

Another link goes to the official statement from the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD), which includes a timeline of events and an outline of the “Investigation and Coordination” protocols. MPD officials stated that the shooting was “an act of violence that should not happen,” and that the department “is committed to learning from this incident.” The article also references a local nonprofit, “Safe Schools Milwaukee,” which advocates for stricter gun control and enhanced school security. Their website provides data on the number of school shootings nationwide in the last decade, which the students incorporated into the final scene of their musical.

A third link points to an online petition, created by the students, that has now gathered over 3,500 signatures. The petition demands an independent review of the MPD’s response, the implementation of a campus security commission, and a mandatory curriculum on conflict resolution for all students. The students themselves are now lobbying the city council, citing the petition as evidence that the community is ready for change.

Aftermath and the Road Ahead

As the night ended, students gathered outside the theater with their backpacks and a copy of the show’s script. They had made a pledge to keep the conversation alive, and to push for tangible policy reforms. “Art is a catalyst,” Maya Torres said. “We can’t keep waiting for the system to change on its own.”

The school board’s next meeting, scheduled for October 12, will discuss the feasibility of implementing the students’ requested changes. In the meantime, the students have organized a series of town‑hall forums, inviting representatives from the school district, the MPD, and local legislators to discuss the issues raised in “Abundant Life.” The forums will also offer a space for survivors to share their experiences, hopefully bridging the gap between the trauma endured and the reforms needed.

“Abundant Life” is more than a musical. It is a manifestation of a generation’s collective grief and their desire for justice. Whether the policy changes will follow remains to be seen, but the students have given the community a powerful reminder that their voices will not be ignored.